Appeals Court to Hear Case of Occupy Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal appeals court is set to hear Tennessee's appeal of a ruling that it violated the free speech rights of the Occupy Nashville movement by arresting protesters in 2011 on War Memorial Plaza.

The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals has scheduled oral arguments for Jan. 31 in Cincinnati.

A federal judge ruled in June that the state violated the free speech rights of seven plaintiff's rights when they were arrested based on a hastily written rule that banned camping on the plaza.

Following the national Occupy Wall Street movement, protesters began a daily presence on the plaza outside of the state Capitol in early October 2011.

After receiving complaints about trash and public urination, the state issued a policy banning overnight camping on the state property.